The application relates to a conveyor device provided with:
a turning station,
a supply track for supplying products to the turning station, in a direction of conveyance with a first orientation,
a positioning device situated upstream of the turning station, for turning the products to a take-over orientation, the turning station comprising a belt that is rotatable in a closed loop and has a first track part that is disposed at an angle relative to the direction of conveyance, which belt runs over a guide wheel and comprises a second track part that is situated downstream of the guide wheel and extends in the direction of conveyance. The invention also relates to a motor suspension for a conveyor device.
In packing devices for packing products in a tubular film (flow-wrap pack), products are supplied at a certain pitch to the longitudinal and transverse sealing dies, in order to form a film pack around the products.
Such a conveyor device is known from EP-B-0 218 550. The known device has the disadvantage that the products can slip on the belt and during the transition from the first to the second belt part at relatively high speeds can come off the belt, with the result that the product orientation is upset.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,912,093 discloses a conveyor device in which the belt of the turning station is provided with cams for positioning the products placed thereon. Since the belt of the turning station follows a concave course, viewed in the direction of conveyance, at high speeds the products will be pressed against the belt, so that the problem of products being able to come off the belt when there is a change of direction does not arise here. Since the products are delivered by the belt transversely to the direction of conveyance, a relatively large amount of space will be taken up by the known device. Furthermore, the known device is not suitable for. changing the product orientation relative to the conveyor belts on which the products are supplied and discharged. It is an object of the invention to provide for a simple and efficient turning station for changing the product orientation, for example from an orientation situated transversely to the direction of conveyance to an orientation situated in the direction of conveyance, in the case of which slipping of products on the belt is avoided. It is a further object of the invention to provide for a motor suspension of the drive motor of the conveyor belts, by means of which the tension on the conveyor belts can be adjusted in a simple manner, and by means of which the angle of the conveyor belts can be adjusted in a simple manner. It is a further object of the invention to provide for a motor suspension that can easily be detached from the conveyor belts for maintenance or replacement.
To this end, a conveyor device according to the invention is characterized in that the belt comprises cams placed at regular intervals, a retaining element being situated at a distance from, and substantially parallel to, at least parts of the first and the second track part of the cam belt, in order to retain products during the transition from the first to the second track part.
With the turning station according to the invention, the products can be turned at relatively high speed with an accurately defined pitch. The retaining element ensures that the products are held in a direction situated transversely to the belt and the products are prevented from coming off the belt when there is a change of direction. The retaining element can be designed as a stationary element, or can comprise a retaining belt that is rotatable in a closed loop.
The guide wheel preferably comprises a supporting surface with a first diameter, along which the cam belt runs, and a second supporting surface with a larger diameter than the first supporting surface, along which a retaining belt runs. The products are held on the cam belt between the cams, and also between the cam belt and the retaining belt rotating in synchronism therewith and parallel thereto, so that the products can be conveyed at relatively great angular accelerations around the guide wheel.
A motor suspension for the drive motor of the conveyor belts is preferably characterized in that it comprises two arms connected to each other at an angle, having a tilting point at a common first end of the arms, having at one end of the first arm a drive motor, and having at one end of the second arm a drive roller for a conveyor belt. The weight of the motor on the first arm is balanced by the weight of the drive roller on the second arm. The tension on the conveyor belt can be adjusted in a simple manner by tilting the arms about the tilting point, for example by adding a weight to the drive roller. Furthermore, the motor can easily be replaced by detaching the entire motor suspension.
Owing to the fact that in one embodiment the arms are suspended in the tilting point from a shaft that with a first end is mounted in a rotatable manner in an arm and with a second end is mounted in a sliding manner in a bearing frame, for tilting of the drive roller of the conveyor belt, the inclination of the conveyor belt about its longitudinal axis can be adjusted easily by tilting the shaft of the motor suspension.